State Briefs 1/22/10

CHICAGO – Lech Walesa, the former president of Poland, will be the keynote speaker at a fundraising luncheon for Republican gubernatorial candidate and Hinsdale resident Adam Andrzejewski next Friday.

Walesa is expected to speak about post-communist Poland as well as comment on Andrzejewski’s campaign for governor.

In addition to serving as the elected president of the Republic of Poland from 1990 to 1995, Walesa is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1983) after being imprisoned by communist authorities for his opposition to Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, the leader of Poland’s military government.

The fundraiser will be held at the Union League Club of Chicago at noon. Tickets can be purchased at lechwalesa.eventbrite.com.

Suburban Life Publications

Students arrested after substitute knocked out during fight

ROCKFORD — At least two Guilford High School students were arrested Wednesday after a fight broke out and a substitute teacher was knocked unconscious.

Two students entered a history class and started to fight with a third student over an argument that initiated in the cafeteria, said Mark Bonne, Rockford School District chief communications officer.

The substitute teacher, a retired police officer, tried to break up the fight. He was knocked backward and the man hit his head on a piece of furniture in the classroom, Bonne said. The teacher lost consciousness and was taken to an area hospital where he was treated and released.

The student who was the initial target was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, Bonne said, but he wasn’t involved with the substitute teacher’s injury. The two students who started the fight will be recommended for expulsion, on top of police charges, Bonne said.

Rockford Register Star

Oprah runs out of time for Springfield teacher

CHICAGO – The Oprah Winfrey Show ran out of time Friday to include a planned segment featuring Springfield Southeast High School drivers education teacher Robert Nika, who was to discuss driving and texting.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show took a different direction during its live taping this morning, which left no time for the texting while driving segment with Mr. Nika,” said Springfield School District spokesman Jimmy Rice in an e-mail to media. “However, Mr. Nika did have a valuable conversation with Oprah about drivers education after the show.”

After Nika, a driver’s education instructor at Southeast, had learned about Winfrey’s No Phone Zone campaign, urging people to put their cell phones away while driving, he visited the show’s Web site and sent in a request for more information.

In addition to the request, he mentioned how difficult it’s been to get his students to stop texting despite showing them pictures of graphic accident scenes. When the show's producers read his request, they became interested in his efforts and wanted him to come to Chicago to talk about it on the show.

State Journal-Register

Willie Nelson to play Peoria

PEORIA – Willie Nelson is on the road again, and he’s headed to the Peoria Civic Center Theater for a show at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 14.

The 76-year-old country singer is touring in support of his latest solo album, “American Classic,” released on Blue Note Records. Tickets are $41.50, $51.50 and $61.50 and will go on sale at noon Jan. 30 at the Peoria Civic Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Nelson has been in the public spotlight since the 1960s, when he penned classics such as “Crazy,” “Night Life” and “Funny How Time Slips Away.” He’s collaborated with artists from all across the musical landscape, from Julio Iglesias (“To All the Girls I Loved Before”), jazz artist Wynton Marsalis and reggae icon Ziggy Marley.

Nelson last performed in central Illinois in May 2009, when he headlined the 9th annual Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe with a 75-minute set that included well-worn hits such as “Good-Hearted Woman,” “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” “Always on My Mind” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.”

Peoria Journal Star

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